BOOK OF THE WEEK: "Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again" by Andrea Barber

Kimmy Gibbler. 

If you grew up in the 90s you know who Kimmy Gibbler is. She's the wacky, annoying neighbor of the Tanners who always seemed to irk one member of the Tanner family with her antics. But she was also D.J's (the oldest of the Tanner girls) best friend, so it's not like she wasn't welcome in the Tanner household despite Danny Tanner's pleas to D.J. in one episode "make new friends." 

It's unsure on how exactly Kimmy and D.J. became best friends. Their personalities aren't all that much alike. D.J. is the studious, straight A, do-gooder, who always want to please her father; whereas Kimmy was not that academically structured with a vibrant personality and was not afraid to show it. But maybe, just maybe, that is what drew the two together? 

However, this was a TV show and Andrea Barber, the actress who played Kimmy. was nothing like her character at all. Where Kimmy was her extroverted self, Andrea was far more reserved. In fact, Andrea actually auditioned for the role of D.J., but impressed the writers and producers enough that they cast her for the role of Kimmy. 

For those who aren't familiar with Full House or its sequel Fuller House (which I have a hard time believing people aren't familiar with it), you may remember there was love-hate relationship between Kimmy and D.J's next younger sister, Stephanie. Stephanie loved to hate on Kimmy. The quips between the two of the were gold. But the quips, despite being in good fun, could be brutal. 

There was one episode of "Full House" Kimmy was writing the horoscopes section for the school newspaper and Stephanie chimes in and asks "horoscope is that a telescope that can only see your face?" Ouch, that is a pretty tough wise crack for a family show. 

But the one thing everything boils down to is being being strange is a superpower. It's easy to go with the grain and go with the rest of society, but it is very difficult to be the one who stands out. The character of Kimmy Gibbler made it easy for people to be different.